WRAP Board member and former chair Walter Smith (GEICO Insurance) congratulates one of the many student winners at WRAP's annual spring prom-graduation kick-off event.

Alcohol-related fatalities continue to plague today's youth, making automobile crashes the leading cause of death for 15- to 21- year-olds. According to a 1999 regional survey conducted by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments and sponsored by WRAP, 81 percent of local youth attest to having used alcohol. WRAP finds this to be completely unacceptable, and throughout the 1999 fiscal year, we vigorously geared our efforts towards fighting underage drinking and driving and stopping these unnecessary tragedies.

1999 GEICO Student Awards

WRAP works to encourage positive peer pressure by recognizing those students who lead a safe, alcohol and drug-free life. Once again, WRAP coordinated the annual GEICO Student Awards, which were bestowed upon regional student groups for their work against underage drinking. GEICO also gave the winners $500 per group for their efforts. Student groups promoting healthy, alcohol and drug-free living to their peers competed to be honored as the best in their jurisdiction. Student members and their advisors attended a high-energy news conference/rally at the MCI Center’s National Sports Gallery.

"We love the program," said Walter Smith, GEICO Insurance. "We do it because it is the right thing to do. We want to recognize the 80 to 90 percent of area students who are doing the right thing and making the right choices. It's a pat on the back all around. We always look at the teenagers around us and just pray that they will be here in the next four years and in 20 years from now. We think we helped to get them started on the right path."

Metro DC Zero Tolerance Coalition

WRAP spearheaded the Metro DC Zero Tolerance Coalition to continue widespread efforts to educate youth, parents and the general public about the dangers of underage drinking and the consequences of ignoring these warnings. During the year, eye-catching, upbeat posters designed by Equals Three Communications were distributed to area high schools and colleges featuring a no-use message. Additionally WRAP purchased movie slide advertisements, which were displayed in theaters prior to show time, to encourage teens not to use alcohol or other drugs.

"Fatal Vision" Goggles

A big hit among all, "Fatal Vision" goggles were used with increasing frequency in high schools to help educate the youth about the dangers of alcohol. Thanks to the Mobil Foundation's generous grant, WRAP has 60 pairs of these popular goggles available to borrow, which simulate visual impairment caused by alcohol consumption. By allowing youth to understand first hand the effects of alcohol on their bodies, WRAP hopes to persuade the youth into choosing a safer alternative.

Moment of Silence

The anticipation of glittery prom dresses, starched tuxedos and a diploma in hand can bring a time when high school students are at high risk of choosing to celebrate with alcohol and drugs. WRAP faced this problem head on and once again, on May 14, we called for a national "Moment of Silence" to encourage teens to pause and reflect upon those lives that had been so needlessly lost to impaired driving accidents.

Why May 14? Because it represents the day of the worst drunk driving crash in US history. In 1998, 27 people, many of them youths, were killed in Lexington, Ky., when a drunk driver hit a school bus.

SADD National News Event

Over 300 SADD club members gathered on the steps of the US Capitol on July 19 at a news conference coordinated by WRAP to celebrate their success in saving lives. They also pledged to reaffirm their commitment to the "2000 by 2000" campaign, which aims to reduce the number of youth alcohol-related fatalities to less than 2000 by the year 2000.

Additionally, Kelly Standiford, the SADD "Student of the Year," joined with National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Administrator Dr. Ricardo Martinez, pictured at left, at the "Trees of Life." Together, they led SADD members in tying a ribbon or picture onto two trees in remembrance of a life they had positively influenced or saved. The trees were planted at the Washington National Cathedral.

VA Teen Driver Safety Campaign

Preliminary data indicate that 81 youth, ages 14-18, were killed in traffic crashes on Virginia highways in 1998, and in 1997, nearly 7,900 youth died on the nation's roads. This spring, WRAP joined forces with the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, American Automobile Association (AAA) and American Express to combat these statistics by teaching youth about new traffic safety laws and the need for safety behind the wheel.

The "It's Cool to Know the Rules" campaign gave high school students throughout the state an opportunity to compete for AAA sponsored US Savings Bonds and a chance to have their ideas implemented on campaign materials and in radio public service announcements.

The wife of Virginia Lieutenant Governor John Hager announced the winners during a news conference on April 13 at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond. The radio spots, featuring the voices of students from Williamsburg’s Jamestown High School, and a student-designed informational brochure were unveiled in early September at a news conference coordinated by WRAP that featured remarks by the Lt. Governor.

Back to Top

---

1999 GEICO Student Award Winners

Cardozo High School Explorers Washington, DC	Hylton High School SADD Prince William County, VA
George Mason High School SADD/CADRE Arlington/Falls Church, VA	Frederick Douglass Community SADD Prince George’s County, MD
Thomas Jefferson High School SADD Fairfax County, VA	Things2Do Montgomery County, MD
Broad Run High School SADD Loudoun County, VA	Bullis School SADD Private (Potomac, MD)